Buchanan, Like Perot, Urges Campaign Curbs

By RICHARD L. BERKE

Published: October 6, 1995

Patrick J. Buchanan, the conservative commentator who is seeking the Republican nomination for President, today proposed an extensive plan to overhaul campaign finance and lobbying laws and reduce Congressional perquisites, adopting the rallying cry of Ross Perot as his own.

Seizing on the anti-Washington demands for change that Mr. Perot made in his independent campaign for the Presidency in 1992 and that Republican Congressional candidates sounded so successfully last year, Mr. Buchanan called for abolishing political action committees and requiring that House and Senate candidates raise money only from their own districts or states.

Mr. Buchanan also proposed tighter restrictions on foreign lobbyists and on lobbying by White House and Congressional officials after they leave office.

And he took aim at popular perquisites on Capitol Hill, urging the elimination of Congressional pensions and free mass-mailing privileges for lawmakers.

"In a sense, these are glorified bribes to both political parties and they ought to be terminated," Mr. Buchanan said, referring to how political action committees evade campaign laws by donating to the parties instead of to candidates directly.

Until now, Mr. Buchanan has never been particularly interested in issues involving political reform. His decision to seize on the issue now, thus cultivating the support of independent voters who are fed up with Washington, was a bold political stroke.

"On this issue, let me say, Ross Perot is right," Mr. Buchanan said in announcing his proposal at the National Press Club here.

The issue is better suited for Mr. Buchanan than his rivals in Congress; he has never been dependent on large donations, nor has he served in Congress and thus benefited from its privileges.

Mr. Buchanan's announcement is also expected to rattle some of his competitors, including Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, and Senator Phil Gramm of Texas.

Both Senators have been relatively quiet on campaign finance and lobbying issues, and some of their opponents have accused them of blocking efforts to change the laws.

Mr. Buchanan sought to portray his interest in overhauling campaign finance and lobbying laws as meshing with the conservative and populist tone of his campaign.

He said his proposal to recognize the right of states to impose term limits on members of Congress and his requirements that candidates raise money within their states were in keeping with the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, which calls for protecting the rights of states.

Among other specifics, Mr. Buchanan's proposal calls for freezing pensions for current members of the House and Senate. Beginning in 1997, lawmakers would not be eligible for Congressional pensions. Members of Congress and their staffs would also not be allowed gifts of more than $20.